Upcoming Projects: February

Well, the holidays have come and gone, and I don’t have many projects planned for January right now. There was the thought of going back to the forest preserve where I took these Autumn photos and get similar ones for Winter. Well, a freak warm spell over the last week or so pretty much erased all the record snowfall we had, leaving me with nothing.

But I’m not too concerned, as February is going to be another busy time for me. The last two weeks of the short month will be spent on Maui, one of my favorite places to shoot. And when I say busy, I mean busy. Here’s just a quick look of all that I’m planning to cover while on vacation.

It's a bird, no it's a planeThe Stars
Seeing the stars at night has to be one of the most exciting parts about going to Maui for me. Well, maybe that’s going a little too far, but trying to capture the heavens above paradise has been hit or miss in the past.

The first year, I had total beginners luck, while recent attempts were spoiled by some cloudy weather at night. How about this year? We’re heading up to the top of the Haleakala Volcano, which means we should be well above any clouds and making for some even more stunning astrophotographs.

The Whales
Whale Party - Pano
Last year was an amazing experience shooting the whales, but again, that was luck. It was the end of whale season, and the ones like you see here were just a few procrastinators. This time, it’s smack right in the middle of the most active whale watching part of the year, so there should be a ton of chances to expand on my limited photos so far.

Kapalua BeachBeaches
What’s a trip to Maui without time at the beach? We plan on visiting a few new beaches every trip, so it will be good to get some more shots.

As I’m learning, beaches aren’t the easiest thing to shoot, either. Sometimes, there isn’t a single cloud in the sky, which sounds like a perfect opportunity. Well, too much sunlight just drowns out all of the colors in a photo. Too many clouds? Still working on those conditions, too.

Shots like this one, I try to take advantage of a few passing clouds, looking for that quick moment when the sun is hidden so I can snap away.

Gearing Up
I only have a few new things I need to get together before our trip. I have my eyes out for a new tripod, but getting a new one isn’t a necessity right now. I do need to get my Canon EOS 20D cleaned, which I found a local shop I need to call. There is also the manner of renting a telephoto lens and possibly an extender for my Rebel XSi, which will allow me to capture amazing whale photos from the lanai (balcony) of our ocean front room.

More details on the new gear as they come in.

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